Method of and apparatus for inserting pile tufts into a fabric



Feb. 17, 1959 Filed Feb. 27, 1957 FILE TUFTS INTO A FABRIC 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 nhAAnnAnAnAA Feb. 17, 1959 H. JEANDUPEUX 2,873,766

' METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR INSERTING PILE TUFTS INTO A FABRIC Filed Feb. 27, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR INSERTING PILE TUFTS INTO A FABRIC Hubert Jeandupeux, Delemont, Switzerland Application February 27, 1957, Serial No. 642,878

Claims. (Cl. 139-1) The present invention relates both to methods of and apparatusfor inserting pile tufts into a fabric.

A long-pile rug obviously consists of a ground web or fabric with warp and weft threads carrying strands of an extra wool, cotton or silk yarn on one side.

Power-loom woven rugs of that kind are already known in the art. In these rugs, however, every strand of the pile is merelypassed under one warp or weft thread of the ground web. These power-loom rugs have the drawback that the strands of the pile are not knotted or bent around the thread'sof the ground web so that they may be torn out of the web.

0n the other hand, knotting the strands of extrayarn forming the pile manually around the threads of the ground Web with the sewing needles or bodkins known in the art'is toilsome work.

It is therefore an object of the invention to provide an apparatus enabling a rapid and easy manufacture of Ghiordes or Turkish knots on a ground web'of known type. p

Further objects of the invention will become apparent in the course of the following description.

Two embodiments of the apparatus according to the invention are represented by way of example in the drawings annexed to this specification.

In the drawings: 7

Fig. 1 is a frontal elevation view of the apparatus according to the first embodiment;

Fig. '2 is a side elevation of the apparatus of Fig. 1, and Figs. 3 to 6 inclusive are partial front elevation views illustrating each one step of the method according to the invention.

Fig. 7 is a front elevation view-of the apparatus according to'the second embodiment;

Fig. 8 is a side elevation viewer this second apparatus, and p i Fig. 9 is a partial view, similar to that-of Fig.7, with some parts in section, showing the apparatus in another position. r 4

Figs. 10 to 13 illustrate each, like Figs; 3 to 6, one step of the method according to the invention and illustrate how this method is carried out with the apparatus according to the second embodiment; 7

I The apparatus represented in Figs. 1 and 2 comprises a support formed by a rod l carr'ying ahead piece 10 at one end. Two buckles 2 and 3, which serve as pulling means, are pivotally mounted on the 'head piece 10 so that they may either lie against one'a'nother (as shown in Fig. 1) or move away from one another (as shown for instance in Fig. 4 The buckle'2 is rigidly connected to a rod 4 and the buckle 3 to a rod 5. Two springs 6 fixed to the head piece 10 .thrust'both rods 4 and 5 against one another. The buckles 2,3 and the rods 4, 5 are thus pivoted like scissors on the' head piece 10.

Besides the said support, the apparatus represented further comprises a slide 7 fixed to a hollow :hand1e8.

This handle 8 and the slide 7 are shiftably mounted Hce on the rod 1, so that they may slide along this rod from the position represented in Figs. 1 and 2 towards the buckles 2 and 3. A coil spring 9 inserted on the rod 1 between the head piece 10 and the slide 7 holds the latter and the handle 8 in the position represented in the drawings in which the handle 8 bears against a button 11 fixed to the rod 1.

Two grooves 12 are provided on the slide 7 to guide the ends of the rods 4 and 5 so as to move these rods away from one another, against the action of the returnsprings 6, when the slide 7 is pushed towards the buckles 2 and 3 against the action of its return-spring 9. If the slide 7 is pushed forward and then released, the spring 9 returns it to the position represented in Figs. 1 and 2 and the springs 6 also return the rods 4 and 5 and consequently the buckles 2 and 3 in the position of Figs. 1 and 2.

The slide 7 further carries a pair of clamping needles 13 and 14 (Fig. 1) serving as pushing means and extending in parallel to the rod 1. Each needle comprises a prong 15 (Fig. 2) rigidly fixed to the slide 7 and a movable prong 16. The movable prongs of both needles consist of both ends of a single folded piece fixed to a plate 17 provided with two ears 18 by means of which the plate 17 and the prongs 16 are pivotally mounted on the slide 7 around an axle 19. A spring 20 acting on the plate 17 tends to close the clamping needles 13, 14. The ends of the prongs 15 and 16 are bent so as to hold a short strand 21. To introduce this strand into said needles the latter are opened by pressing on the folded part 22 of the movable prongs 16 to rock them around the axle 19 against the action of spring 20.

The apparatus described is designed for making Ghiordes or Turkish knots on a ground web by means of short strands such as 21 in order to form a pile on this web. The ground web used for this purpose is represented diagrammatically in Figs. 3 to 6 inclusive. It consists of an open-worked fabric broadly distributed on the market, and in which the warp and the weft threads are woven two and two close together. The reference numerals 23 and 24 in Fig. 3 designate two closely adjacent warp or weft threads and the numerals 25- and 26 designate the neighboring threads on either side of the threads 23 and 24. The gaps between the threads 23 and 25 or 24 and 26 are substantially larger than the gap between the threads 23 and 24.

Fig. 3 illustrates the first step of manufacturing a Ghiordes or Turkish knot according to the invention: the clamping needles 13, 14 carry a short strand of an extra yarn and the two buckles 2 and 3 of the apparatus represented'in Figs. 1 and 2 have been passed across the ground fabric downwards through the gap comprised between the two threads 23 and 24. To ensure this penetration of the buckles 2 and 3 between the threads 23 and 24 a finger is preferably kept on the button ll to avoid the handle 8 sliding downwards along the rod 1 if the resistance of the ground fabric to the passage of the buckles 2 and 3 exceeds the strength of the spring 9. The'penetration of the apparatus into the ground fabric is limited by two cars -27 and 28 formed on the head 16 and arranged so as to engage the threads 23 and 24, respectively.

When the apparatus has reached the position of Fig. 3 the button 11 is released and the handle 8 pushed downwards. The slide 7 also glides downwards along the rod 1 thus urging the rods 4 and 5 and the buckles 2 and 3 away from one another, and the needles 13 and 14 enter the gaps between the ground fabric threads 23, 25 and 24, 26, respectively, with the ends of the strand 21. By pushing the handle .8 downwards as far as :possible the needles 13 and 14 introduce the ends of the strand 21 into the buckles .2 and .3, respectively.

In the position represented in Fig. 4 the handle 8, the slide 7 and the needles 13 and 14 have not yet reached their lowest position, although the needles have already entered the buckles 2 and 3. From the position of" Fig.

' 4 the needles 13 and 14 may still move downwards until the ends of the strand 21 come out of them.

As soon as the handle 8 has reached its lowest position it is then moved back into its original position in which it butts against the button 11. The slide 7 does then no longer keep the rods 4 and aside and the springs 6 urge them towards their original position until the buckles 2 and 3 clamp the ends of the strand 21 as shown in Fig. 5.

The apparatus is then completely removed from the ground fabric so that the buckles 2 and 3 pull the ends of the strand 21 between the ground fabric threads 23 and 24 as shown in Fig. 6 thus forming the desired Ghiordes knot.

To prepare the apparatus for making a new knot the needles 13 and 14 are opened and a new strand 21 is placed therein.

With extra yarns of different colors previously cut so as to form short strands of the same length, and with a ground fabric colored in accordance with a determined pattern, the apparatus according to the invention enables manufacturing a long-pile rug with a colored pattern corresponding to that of the ground fabric. For this purpose the strands of extra yarn need only be chosen every time of a color corresponding to that of the fabric thread portions around which they are to 'be bent. The work with the apparatus according to the invention is moreover extremely rapid and very easy. Bending a strand around two of the ground fabric warp or weft yarns to form a Ghiordes knot does actually not require more than moving the handle 8 once to and fro. By setting every time the strands of extra yarn symmetrical- 1y into the needles 13 and 14 the pile obtained after the knotting operations has a regular height, thus sparing wool and time since cutting the strands forming the pile to equalize the height of the latter can be dispensed with.

The apparatus represented in Figs. 7 to 9 inclusive comprises a support formed by a rod 31 carrying a head piece 32 at one end. A buckle 33 serving as pulling means is mounted on and in front of that head piece 32.

Besides the said support, this apparatus also comprises a slide 34 fixed to a hollow handle 35. The handle 35 and the slide 34 are shiftably mounted on the rod 31, so that they may slide along this rod from the position represented in Figs. 7 and 8 to the position represented in Fig. 9.

In the former position the handle 35 butts against a button 36 fixed to the rod 31.

Two needles 37 and 38 with forked ends 39, consisting of thin metal blades, serve as pushing means and are pivotally carried by the slide 34, and two springs 40 permanently keep a part of the inner edge of these needles 37 and 38 in guiding slots 41 provided on opposite sides of the head piece 32.

By moving the handle 35 and the slide 34 downwards towards the buckle 33 the forked ends 39 of the needles 37 and 38 enter the buckle 33'wherein they cross one another as shown in Fig. 9. This figure shows the handle 35 and the slide 34 in their foremost position. Fig. 9 shows that the needles can cross one another without any deformation, because they do not lie in the same plane.

A folded spring blade 42 is fixed to the head 32 by the rod 31 so as to form a pair of resilient tongues 43 extending on either side of the head piece 32 as shown in Fig. 7. These tongues are split longitudinally, opposite the grooves 41, to enable the passage of the needles 37 and 38, and pins 44 carried by the head piece 32 enter corresponding openings of the said tongues to prevent them from distorting and moving in a transverse direction with respect to the head piece 32. The parts of the pins 44 projecting from the head piece 32 are split down to the bottom of the grooves 41 to enable the passage of the needles 37 and 38.

The tongues 43 are arranged for clamping a wool strand 45 on the head piece 32 of the apparatus. To set that strand on the apparatus in the position represented in Figs. 7 and 8 one doubles that strand back on itself so as to bring its two ends exactly on one another. The buckle 33 and the front portion of the head piece 32 of the apparatus are then introduced into the loop thus formed with the strand 45 until this strand comes under the resilient tongues 43, which keep it firmly by clamping it on the head piece 32. The pins 44 serve as abutting means ensuring setting the strand 45 on the head piece 32 in a predetermined axial position in which each fork 39 of the needles 37 and 38 seizes a part of the strand 45 when moving the handle 35 forward along the rod 31 from the position shown in Figs. 7 and 8.

The apparatus according to the second embodiment of the invention is also designed for making Ghiordes knots on a web by means of short strands such as 45. The web used for this purpose is represented diagrammatically in Figs. 10 to 13 inclusive. It is constituted by the same ground fabric as that represented in Figs. 3 to 6. The reference numerals 46 and 47 designate here also two closely adjacent warp or weft threads and the reference numerals 48 and 49 designate the neighboring threads on either side of the threads 46 and 47. The gaps between the threads 46 and 48 or 47 and 49 are substantially larger than the gap between the threads 46 and 47.

Fig. 10 illustrates the first step of manufacturing a Ghiordes or Turkish knot according to the invention: a short strand of an extra yarn has been set on the head piece 32 as shown in Figs. 7 and 8 and the buckle 33 of the apparatus has been passed across the ground web downwards through the gap comprised between the two threads 46 and 47. To ensure this penetration of the buckle 33 between the threads 46 and 47 a finger must be held on the button 36 to avoid the handle 35 sliding downwards along the rod 31. The penetration of the apparatus into the ground web is limited by the front face of the head piece 32 which is large enough to rest on the threads 46 and 47 of the web.

When the apparatus has reached the position of Fig. 10, the button 36 is released and the handle 35 pushed downwards. The slide 34 also glides downwards along the rod 31 and the forks 39 of the needles 37 and 38 seize each a part of the strand 45. These forks and the needles 37 and 38 enter then the gaps between the web threads 46, 48 and 47, 49,-respectively, with the ends of the strand 45. By pushing the handle 35 downwards as far as possible the needles 37 and 38 come in the position already described and represented inFig. 9 thus introducing both ends of the strand 45 into the buckle 33 of the apparatus (Fig. 11).

As soon as the handle 35 has reached its lowest position it is then moved back into its original position in which it butts against the button 36, the needles 37 and 38 thereby also returning to their original positions represented in Figs. 7 and 8. As regards the ends of the strand 45, they remain in the buckle 33 as shown in Fig. 12.

By removing then the apparatus completely from the ground web the buckle 33 pulls the ends of the strand 45 between the web threads 46 and 47 as shown in Fig. 13, thus bending the strand 45 around the threads 46 and 47 of the web and forming a Ghiordes knot.

To prepare the apparatus for making a new knot another strand is set under the tongues 43 in the manner described above.

With extra yarns of different colors previously cut so as to form short strands of the same length, and with a ground fabric colored in accordance with a determined pattern, th'e' apparatus of this second embodiment also enables manufacturing a long-pile rug with a colored pattern corresponding to that of the ground fabric as in the first embodiment described above. The work with this second apparatus is as rapid and easy as with the first one, since making" a knot also requires only moving the handle 35 once to and fro. By setting every time the strands of extra yarn in the manner disclosed above under the resilient tongues 43 the pile obtained after the knotting operations has also a regular height, thus sparing wool and time since cutting the strands forming the pile to equalize the height of the latter can be dispensed with.

To bend one end of a strand of extra yarn around a ground fabric thread portion according to the method of the invention, strand pulling means are first set behind that ground fabric thread portion by passing said-means on one side of said thread. Strand pushing means are then set together with the said end of the. strand behind the said thread .portion by passing said pushing means on the other side. of said thread. The pulling and pushing means are arranged so that the latter leave the said strand end they have pushed under the action of the pulling means, which are then removed from engagement with said thread.

The other end of the said strand could of course also be bent, in the same manner and at the same time, around a ground web thread.

In both embodiments described with reference to the drawings the strand pushing means are constituted either by a single buckle or by two buckles lying on one another, and the said pushing means consist of a pair of needles extending in parallel to or crossing one another. The said pulling means are then passed perpendicularly to the ground web between two adjoining threads of the ground web, from one side thereof to the other side, to bend a strand around these two adjoining threads.

Instead of moving pulling means in a direction perpendicular to the ground web, such means could also be passed under a thread of the ground web by moving them in a direction substantially parallel to the web. Furthermore, the pushing means could be arranged so as to pass over the same web thread while moving also in a direction substantially parallel to the web.

The apparatus to use in this last case could thus also comprise a buckle fixed at the end of a supporting rod, and a forked needle rigidly connected to a shiftable handle so as to extend in parallel to said rod. To enable the needle entering the buckle, the latter need only be bent transversely with respect to the said rod, so as to project forwardly and upwardly from the ground web thread under which it has been passed, When the said rod extends substantially in parallel to the Web. With clamping means like those of the second embodiment, but arranged so as to hold both strand ends upwards and close together, the forked end of the needle would seize both strand ends at once when moving the handle forward, and pass them over the ground web thread under which the buckle is engaged, and introduce them into this buckle. When removing eventually the buckle from the ground web, it would then pull both strand ends under the said ground web thread and pass them through the loop formed by the central portion of the strand, thus bending and knotting both ends of the strand around the same ground web thread.

The function of this modified apparatus is thus the same as that of the two embodiments described with reference to the drawings. A forward motion enables passing the buckle under a Web thread and the needle with both strand ends over this thread. A subsequent rearward motion returns the needle in its original position and disengages the buckle from the web while bending the strand ends around the said web thread and pulling them through the loop formed by the central portion of the strand.

Eventually, instead of an apparatus with a single buckle and a single needle as described above, a similarly work- 3 ing apparatus could be provided with two buckles arranged side by side and two movable needles capable each of entering one buckle upon a forward motion of' the needle carrier.

With a forward motion parallel to the ground web these buckles could be passed each under a different ground web thread portion and the needles could pass over these thread portions with both strand ends thus introducing each end in a buckle. A subsequent back motion would first return the needles into their original positions and then disengage the buckles from the web thus bending each strand end around a different ground Web thread portion.

While the first modified apparatus with a single buckle and a. single needle could advantageously be used with a ground fabric which is not woven so as to have the warp and weft threads close together two by two, but regularly spaced from one another, the second modified apparatus with two buckles side by side and a pair of needles would be useful with a ground fabric which is not open-worked.

Although I have described two embodiments of my invention in detail and indicated some modifications, I do not wish to be limited thereto, since various changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts could easily by resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing the advantages of the invention defined by the appended claims' I claim:

1. A method for inserting a pile tuft into a fabric consisting of setting pulling means behind a thread portion by passing them on one side of said thread portion while keeping a central strand portion before said thread portion, setting pushing means together with said strand end behind said thread portion to seize said strand end by means of said pulling means, by passing the pushing means together with the strand end on the other side of said thread portion, retiring first said pushing means alone and then said pulling means together with the strand end to pull said strand end before said thread portion thereby bending said strand end around said thread portion.

2. A method for inserting a pile tuft into a fabric consisting of setting pulling means behind a thread portion by passing them on one side of said thread portion while keeping a central strand portion before said thread portion, setting pushing means together with said strand end behind said thread portion to seize said strand end by means of said pulling means, by passing the pushing means together with the strand end on the other side of said thread portion, retiring first said pushing means alone and then said pulling means together with the strand end to pull said strand end before said thread portion thereby bending said strand end around said thread portion and passing it between said thread portion and said strand central portion.

3. A method for inserting a pile tuft into a fabric consisting of setting pulling means behind thread portions by passing them on one side of said thread portions while keeping a central strand portion before said thread portions, setting pushing means together with the strand ends behind said thread portions, to seize said strand ends with said pulling means, by passing the pushing means together with the strand ends on the other side of said thread portions, retiring first said pushing means alone and then said pulling means together with the strand ends to pull said strand ends before said thread portions thereby bending said strand ends around said thread portions.

4. The method of claim 3, in which the pulling means are set behind a pair of adjacent thread portions by passing them between said thread portions, and in which said pushing means are set behind said thread portions by passing them together with both strand ends on either side of said pair of thread portions.

5. A method for inserting a pile tuft into a fabric, consisting of setting pulling means behind thread portions by passing them on one side of said thread portions while keeping a central strand portion before said thread portions, setting pushing means together with the strand ends behind said thread portions, to seize said strand ends with said pulling means, by passing the pushing means together with the strand ends on the other side of said thread portions, retiring first said pushing means alone and then said pulling means together with the strand ends to pull said strand ends before said thread portions, thereby bending said strand ends around said thread portions and passing them between said thread portions and said strand central portion.

6. An apparatus for inserting a pile tuft into a fabric, comprising in combination a support carrying strand holding and strand pulling means, a slide shiftably mounted on said support, and strand pushing means mounted on said slide and arranged to engage said pulling means upon shifting said slide on saidsupport towards a determined position.

7. An apparatus for inserting a pile tuft into a fabric, comprising in combination a support carrying strand holding and strand pulling means, a slide shiftably mounted on said support, and strand pushing means mounted on said slide and arranged to engage said Pulling means upon shifting said slide forward on said support towards a foremost position. i

8. The apparatus of claim 7, in which the pulling means consist of a buckle fixed to said support, and in which the pushing means consist of a pair of needles pivotally mounted on said slide, said apparatus further comprising guiding means on said support to giude said needles. so that they cross each other in said buckle upon shifting said slide forward into 'its foremost position.

9. The apparatus of claim 7, in which the pulling means consist of a pair of buckles and the pushing means of a pair of needles fixed onto said slide.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, in which the said buckles are pivotally mounted on said support, said apparatus further comprising two rods fixed each to one .of said buckles, and guiding means on said slide to maintain said rods in a position in which the buckles lie on one another, when the slide is in a rearmost position, and to urge said rods and said buckles away from one another upon moving said slide forward.

No references cited. 

